Pushing a food-and-drinks cart on an express train used to be a something of a glamour job for young Japanese women (or something of a comedown if they aspired to be flight attendants).
The Odakyu Romance Car, which debuted in 1957, is one such express train. It travels between Tokyo and Hakone, the mountain resort that has been drawing foreign visitors for generations with its hot springs and promise (though often unfulfilled) of spectacular Mount Fuji views from nearby Lake Ashi.
Hachiko Hojo (Yuko Oshima), the heroine of Yuki Tanada's "Romansu" ("Round Trip Heart"), is one such cart pusher, dressed in a spiffy uniform and spreading good cheer. She may be little more than an ambulatory convenience store clerk to passengers, but to a bumbling junior colleague (Yoshimi Nozaki), Hachiko is a no-nonsense veteran and a fount of job-survival wisdom.
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